baby girl it's just me and you
by IHEARTFINCHEL
Summary: AU; "I love you." The words just tumbled from his mouth and he wanted to kick himself because even though he'd felt it since, like, his first date with this girl, he'd wanted to wait and do it somewhere nice, like a fancy restaurant or- or central park- "I love you too." Broadway!Rachel and Firefighter!Finn. Read & Review please!


**Dedicated to Martina because awesome, basically.**

**Disclaimer: I don't anything.**

Rachel Barbra Berry was the happiest person in New York City. She lived with her two best friends from high school, (Kurt and Santana), had the best parents in the world (her two fathers spoilt their only daughter _rotten_) and she was about to star in her first Broadway musical (which had been her dream since before she could even walk). She had everything she could ever want… Well. Almost everything.

Rachel was lonely. Sure, she had a great circle of friends and was incredibly close to her family but her love life was dull, to say the least. Her friends were all paired off with somebody; Kurt with his long-time boyfriend Blaine, Santana was always hooking up with guys, Tina (one of her nicer co-stars) with her long-distance boyfriend Mike, who was moving to the city in weeks and Mercedes (their neighbour) was engaged to this cute guy called Sam. Rachel was single and had been for a very long time. _Too long._

Her friends were constantly setting up dates that unfortunately never worked out. (On the first attempt, she'd been stood up and another had ended with Rachel throwing her drink into the creep's donkey-like-face.)

She just wanted somebody, _anybody_.

* * *

Since she had some time to spare before rehearsals for _Funny Girl_ began, Rachel decided to visit her favourite coffee shop and bakery in all of New York. It was a pretty little place; small and old-fashioned, which was why Rachel adored it so much. It wasn't like _Starbucks_, vastly overcrowded, it was nice, quiet. The same people went everyday and ordered the exact same thing, sitting at the exact same table.

Except today, when Rachel entered, there was somebody sitting at _her_ table. A guy. A very attractive guy. But still, he was at the table she'd been sitting at for _years_. Unacceptable.

So of course she did the only thing she could have done, march over there and give him hell.

"Excuse me," Rachel said confidently, appearing at his side and evidently startling him. "This is my seat."

"W-What?"

"My seat. I've sat here since I was a kid. Could you please move? Thank you."

"Um… Can't you find another table to sit at for a change? There's plenty of spares and I'm comfortable," He answered, gesturing round the little shop to all the empty places (it was early and there was only a couple of people and them there, but that's beside the point. She wanted to sit in her spot).

"No," Rachel huffed as she stormed up to the counter to order her usual, looking back every ten seconds or so to shoot in glare in the seat-stealer's direction.

"You're being childish." He rolled his eyes, watching as she returned to his side, looking even more annoyed. He smirked; she was cute. Incredibly stubborn, but cute.

"I am not," Rachel protested. "Let. Me. Sit. Here."

"Go ahead." Rachel's eyes widened because, _what?_ "Sit down."

Rachel cautiously sat in the chair opposite him, placing her tray in front of her and eying him warily. "I don't understand…"

"There are two seats at the table and we both want to sit here, so we may as well compromise? That okay with you, your royal highness?"

"No need to be snarky, Mr," She grumbled. "It's fine. I guess I can put up with you."

"Being friendly really isn't one of your qualities, is it?"

Rachel reached across the table and wacked her hand against his shoulder, giggling slightly as he winced. "I resent that."

"You're stronger than you look, diva," He teased, a smirk on his face. "Anyway, what brings you here this early on a Monday morning?"

"I was a little early for my rehearsals and I figured why not have some relaxing, _alone_ time first," She said pointedly.

"Rehearsals for what?" He leaned forward and looked genuinely interested in her answer, surprising Rachel.

"Broadway. I'm starring in the musical _Funny Girl_, somebody like you probably hasn't heard of it though."

"I have actually." Rachel's mouth fell open. "My mom is, like, in love with that Jewish woman… What's her name… Belinda Streisand?"

Rachel suppressed a loud laugh. "You mean Barbra Streisand."

"Oh. Yeah. Her." His cheeks flushed red in embarrassment. "She's a pretty awesome singer."

"I have to agree. She is '_pretty awesome_'. She's my idol."

"Nice," He nodded. "So, I'm sharing a table with a big Broadway star, huh?"

"Not yet," She shook her head, laughing. "This is my first major role, Fanny is, but I hope to be a star one day."

"I hope you will too," He said sweetly, smiling at her and flashing these cute little dimples and, _damn_, he was actually really good looking. He shrugged, "Good luck with your rehearsals."

"Um, thank you…"

"Finn," He finished. "I'm Finn. And you?"

"Rachel. Rachel Barbra Berry." She stuck her hand out for him to shake as if it was some formal meeting. He laughed, but complied anyway. "You know you're not actually that bad after all, Finn."

"Neither are you, Miss Berry," He grinned. "I should be going now though," He said, taking the final sip of his drink.

"Why?" She asked, a little disappointed that he was leaving, having grown to actually like this guy, despite their rough introduction.

"I can't be late for work." He hopped out of his chair. "Bye, Rachel. It was… nice meeting you, in the end."

She blushed as he disappeared out of the shop. "Yeah, it was nice," She whispered to nobody. She finished off her coffee and cake and as she left the building she couldn't stop thinking about him, about Finn and hoping that she'd bump into him again.

* * *

"You seem extra happy today," Santana noted as she walked into the kitchen where her two roommates were preparing dinner. "Did you meet a guy?"

"Maybe," Rachel said coyly, getting out three plates from the cupboard.

"Actually, Rach, it will be four plates," Kurt cut in.

"Huh? Who else is joining us?"

"You know my dad's new girlfriend?" When Rachel nodded, he continued. "Well, it's getting pretty serious between the two of them and he suggested that I get to know her son, since we'll be seeing a lot of each other. He's having dinner with us tonight."

"Oh ok." Rachel removed another plate. "Sounds nice. I'm glad your dad's happy, he deserves it after everything."

"So am I and I think Carole is really good for him."

"Let's just hope her son is a piece of eye candy, eh Rach?" Santana said jokingly, winking at her friend. "We still need to set you up."

"Shut up." She slapped her friend's shoulder as she passed into their living area to put the plates on the table. Just then, the doorbell rang, signalling Kurt's dad's girlfriends' sons arrival.

"Rach, can you get it? I'm just finishing off in the kitchen!"

"Sure!" Rachel yelled back, skipping to the door and opening it. What she did not expect to see was the guy from the coffee shop standing behind it.

* * *

"You two know each other?" Kurt questioned, looking between the two shocked parties. "How?"

"He stole my table at the café this morning!" "She was being a diva at the café this morning!" They both answered simultaneously. Santana and Kurt shared amused glances.

"And now he's followed me back to my apartment! Not only is he a thief but he's also a stalker! Diabolical!" Rachel said, dissolving into giggles.

"I'm gonna get ya for that one." Finn began to tickle her sides, erupting snorts of laughter from the small brunette. "Apologise."

"No!" He tickled harder. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry! You are not a stalker, Finn! Now, stop," She squealed. Eventually he stopped, releasing her.

Santana smirked at Rachel from her position opposite her. "You two seem very close. Something you're not telling us, Berryliscous?"

"San!" Rachel felt her cheeks heat up and turn a deep shade of red.

"It's alright, Rach." She felt her heart flutter at the nickname he'd just given her and her cheeks brighten further. "It was just a joke."

"Anyway," Rachel said, drawing the word out to rid of the awkward silence that had surged over the four like a tidal wave. "Tell us more about yourself, Finn."

Kurt agreed, saying he needed to know more about his "future-brother-in-law".

"Well, um, I'm an only child… It's just been my mom and I for, like, forever so we're really, really close. Um, I've lived in New York all of my life. I'm a firefighter; it was always my dream job as a kid and, um, that's it really."

"Single, Finn?"

"Y-Yes," He stuttered, looking at Rachel out of the corner of his eye. She was looking at the other direction with a pink colouring her cheeks. He smiled slightly. "I'm looking for a girlfriend though. I mean, I'm twenty-seven, I should probably start settling down."

"We keep saying the exact same thing to Rachel here, but she won't listen," Kurt added. "Soon she'll be past her prime child-bearing years!"

"_Kurt._"

"What?" He shrugged, not seeing the big deal with sharing that.

"Hey, here's a grand idea, why don't the two of you." Santana gestured between Finn and Rachel. "Go on a date."

"_Santana_," Rachel said sharply, feeling as though she was going to die of embarrassment because of her friends. "Would you _shut up_?"

"Oh come on now. It's totally obvious you like him and he likes you! You've been flirting non-stop since he arrived."

Rachel buried her head in her hands. She would kill them for that later.

"Leave Rachel alone," Finn laughed. "Look, she's all red at the thought of going out with me."

"Ask her out Finn," Kurt prompted. "At least give it a go. You'd be cute together."

"You know we've, um, only just met… And, like, Rachel obviously doesn't w-want to… So…"

"But you could get to know each other on the date," Santana encouraged. "You'll never know until you try."

Finn looked over to Rachel, a shy smile on his face as he said, "You want to, Rach? It could be fun."

"Um… S-Sure. Yeah, I'll go on a d-date with you, Finn."

Santana and Kurt cheered loudly, high-fiving each other and shouting, "We did it!" and "Kurtana – the best matchmakers ever!" They didn't even notice Finn and Rachel disappear out of the room.

"You know you don't have to go out with me if you don't want to? I understand you were probably just feeling pressured by them and…" Finn told Rachel as they stepped out onto the balcony for a bit of privacy.

"No, no. I actually want to," She looked at him from under her eyelashes. "You're actually surprisingly sweet and you're very cute, so."

Finn grinned adorably. "Really? How does next Friday sound?"

"It sounds wonderful, Finn."

Rachel's first date in months was with Finn Hudson, the seat-stealer from earlier that morning; she'd never been so excited for a date in a long, long time.

* * *

"Rachel, you _cannot_ wear that!" "Why the hell do you even own this junk?" "I am not allowing you out of this apartment wearing _that_, Rachel Barbra Berry, you should be ashamed!" "Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, ew!" "Oh god, my eyes!" Were just some of the insults to Rachel's wardrobe as Kurt rummaged through it, searching for the perfect outfit for Rachel's date with Finn. In two hours.

Honestly, Rachel still got fluttery about it. She was so nervous and excited and she couldn't wait to see Finn again. They'd been texting to and fro all week and she was already falling for him. Way too soon, she knows, but she couldn't stop herself.

At Kurt's insistence, he was to choose her attire for the date (dinner at _Sardis!_) as apparently Rachel had the fashion sense of a five year old, which was why he was currently rooting through all of her clothes.

"You having nothing that's suitable," Kurt ranted. "_Nothing_."

"Kurt, she has about a million dresses, let her wear one of them," Santana helped. She was in charge of Rachel's hair and make-up and _needed_ to start.

"I still like that black one, I think it's cute," Rachel commented, as if her opinion was of any use. It was this floaty black dress with white hearts printed over the bodice and skirt, finishing just above the knee Rachel thought it was _perfect_ for her date but evidently the fashion diva she was living with disagreed.

"I guess it will have to do," Kurt sighed, defeated. "We're going shopping tomorrow, though. Get you some decent clothes for your next date with Finn."

"How do you know I'm going on a next date with Finn?"

"I just know these things."

* * *

Turns out, Kurt _was_ right. Finn and Rachel had not only been on their second date, they had been with each other practically everyday for two weeks. Kurt and Santana made fun of Rachel endlessly for being like that with him, but she didn't care, she'd never been so happy. (And, just for the record, Finn had said Rachel's little black dress was absolutely adorable. She made sure to rub that one in Kurt's face).

"So, what's the plan for today, Hudson?" Rachel asked, looking up at him as they strolled aimlessly through Central Park.

"Nothing much. Just relaxing with my girlfriend by the lake."

"…_Girlfriend_?" Rachel felt her heart beat faster at the word.

"Well, yes. I mean, that's what we are, right? I'm your boyfriend and you're my girlfriend?"

"Um, yeah, just. We haven't specifically said those words before so I wasn't sure… I didn't want to get over excited and then be disappointed…"

Finn shook his head. "Rach, I really, _really_ like you. I want you to be my girlfriend, and only you."

Looking into his eyes and seeing the honesty there, Rachel felt her own eyes sting with tears as she squeaked out a "_Really? Me?_"

"Yes you, silly." He kissed her lips softly and sweetly. "You're amazing, Rachel and I'd consider myself the luckiest guy in the world if you were to be my official girlfriend."

Rachel squealed as threw herself at the giant of a firefighter, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as she planted kisses all over his face.

(And yeah, when she got back to her apartment, she totally spent, like, half an hour doing a celebratory dance because she had a boyfriend. Finn Hudson, the most perfect man she'd ever been lucky enough to be with).

* * *

"I want you to meet my fathers," Rachel said as her and Finn were lying next to each other on her bed, one lazy Sunday morning. His hands that had previously been playing with her hair, stilled as he took in her words.

"You what?"

"We've been together for over a month, Finny, why not? They really want to meet 'this boy who's stolen their baby girl's heart'."

"But… Dads. Two of them. Are you sure that's a good idea? Won't they want to murder me or something?"

Rachel giggled at his nervousness, assuring him that her fathers were not murderers. "They just want to get to know you. It won't be that bad."

"The last time I met a girlfriend's parents, I ended up getting her kicked out of her own house. Like, for good," He mumbled, not particularly wanting to remember those times in his life, but feeling like Rachel should know about his truly awful track record with meeting the parents. "I don't want to mess things up for you."

"You won't, Finny. It will be fine." She kissed his cheek, attempting to comfort him. "Now, tell me that story." She rolled over in his arms so she was facing him. She had a beaming smile on her face that he didn't understand; _she wanted to know about his only other serious girlfriend?_

"Okay, just don't laugh. Please." She nodded solemnly. He began his story. "My girlfriend in high school was pregnant. She figured it was time to tell her parents about the baby, so when we both went over for a dinner, I stupidly serenaded her with _you're having my baby_. Let's just say her father was pissed and gave her five minutes to be packed and gone."

"Oh my god," Rachel gasped. "_You're having my baby_, really, Finn? Really?"

"Hey! I was sixteen, okay? Give me a break!" She laughed anyway and he pinched her sides as punishment. "Stop it."

"Okayokayokay," Rachel giggled loudly. "Just one question, you're a dad?"

"No." He rubbed the back of his neck. "She, um… She'd cheated on me… With my best friend. The baby was never mine."

"Poor Finny," Rachel cooed, squeezing his waist a little. "Why would anybody do that to you?"

"Dunno. She was kinda insane; obsessed with popularity and image and stuff. We were never great together anyway." He shrugged.

"Are we great together?" Rachel mumbled shyly, instantly regretting it.

"I think so," Finn whispered back, making Rachel smile this soft smile, his favourite of her smiles. It wasn't her big beaming smile, it was smaller and only appeared when something meaningful happened, like before their first kiss, for example.

"So, _parents_?"

Finn had to laugh; she was still the same old stubborn Rachel he'd met at the coffee shop.

* * *

It was two months later when they actually got to meet each other's parents because of crazy schedules and such, but it was finally happening. Rachel was buzzing with excitement over the prospect of the three most important men in her life getting along, while Finn, on the other hand, was more subdued. Let's just say he didn't quite share the excitement and positivity with his girlfriend of nearly four months.

Arriving at the Berry house, Finn's nerves increased tenfold, so much so that his hands were shaking. Rachel took his larger hand in her smaller one, entwined their fingers, and squeezed slightly, comforting him.

"It's going to be alright, Finn. They'll love you," She promised with a confident smile. He found himself nodding along. She was right, everything would be fine.

* * *

"You're a firefighter then, huh?" Leroy, the stricter of her fathers asked as they tucked into their second course. "Tough job."

"Yeah, it is. I mean it can get pretty scary sometimes but it's alright. It's what I'm passionate about, what I've always been passionate about, and if you can save a few lives, that's a bonus, right?"

"It's really dangerous though. Don't you get worried, baby girl?" Hiram, her other father (the nicer of the two, he'd learnt) directed towards his daughter. "I would if it was your papa running into a burning building."

"Of course I do," Rachel answered, (she gets _terrified_ and on nights where she knows the fire is big, she'll call the station every half hour for updates).

"Rachel's like the most paranoid out of all of the significant others," Finn teased with a laugh.

Rachel stuck her tongue out at him. "Hey! Can't a girl be worried about her boyfriend? What if you got hurt, what would I do then?"

"I don't know, baby," He mumbled, not wanting to even think about the idea of being without her. Deciding to change the topic, he asked her fathers, "You excited about Rachel's big Broadway debut in a few weeks?"

"Of _course_, Finn. We've only been waiting for this forever! Our baby girl is a _star._"

"I'm so proud of her," Finn added, squeezing her slightly as his arm rested around her shoulders.

Hiram shared an excited look with his husband, their smiles both wide. They didn't particularly love the idea of some guy taking their baby girl away from them, but Finn _was_ sweet and he obviously cared about Rachel a great deal.

After dinner, while Rachel and Hiram where cleaning the table and washing the dishes, Leroy gave Finn his blessing, saying that he couldn't be happier his Rachel had found an amazing man like him to spend her life with. Finn couldn't hide the massive grin that spread from ear to ear.

* * *

"Finn? That you, baby?" Carole Hudson called out, hearing the sound of the front door opening and shutting. She untied her flowery apron, hastily putting it on the back of a chair, before running into the front hall of her and Burt's shared upstate house.

"Hey, mom." Finn greeted the other most important woman in his life with a warm kiss on the cheek and a tight hug. "This is Rachel Berry, my girlfriend."

"I've heard _so_ much about you. From Finn and Kurt; both boys simply _adore _you, Rachel."

She blushed wildly. "Nice to meet you, Mrs Hudson."

"You too, darling. But call me Carole, none of those silly formalities," She smiled, a friendly smile that made Rachel feel very welcome in their family home. "Speaking of Kurt, he's just through here." Rachel and Finn nodded, following his mom through to the living room, hand-in-hand.

"Rach!" Kurt squealed slightly, running over to hug his best friend like he hadn't seen her in _decades._ She let go of Finn's hand, squealing her friend's name back and embracing him tightly. "You look gorgeous. I'm glad you went with the pink dress, I knew it would suit you perfectly."

"Kurt, dude, shut up about clothes. Rach came all the way up here to meet my mom, _not_ listen to you rambling on about pink dresses," Finn interjected, stealing Rachel from Kurt and dragging her (gently, of course) to the sofa.

"It's fine, Finny," Carole laughed. "And it is a nice dress. Where'd you get it, Rachel?"

"Bloomingdales," Kurt answered for her. It was a sale item and I told Rachel she just _had_ to have it…"

"How have you been, mom?" Finn asked, talking loudly over the fashionista.

"I've been great. Even better after hearing you actually have a girlfriend that you were willing to introduce me to." Finn blushed. "So, Rachel, I hear you're a big Broadway star, huh?"

"Yep, she is," Finn replied proudly.

"Not yet," Rachel smiled. "Finn says that to everybody. This is my first leading role on Broadway, so. I'm hoping it leads to big things for me."

"It will, babe. You're awesome."

"When's the opening night?" Carole questioned, picking up her diary and a pen. "Burt and I will have to get tickets."

"Yeah, yeah, the show sounds good," Burt mumbled half-heartedly as he watched the football game on the TV, engrossed.

"Two weeks tomorrow. You don't have to come…"

"No, no, I want to." Finn's heart swelled with love over the way his two favourite girls were getting along. It meant so much to him that they liked each other.

"Speaking of putting dates in the planner…" Burt begun, clicking off the game and pulling Carole close to him. "Save the date for May 16th."

"Why?" Finn furrowed his brow, confused, while both his girlfriend and his- Kurt started freaking out, their eyes brightening with excitement. "What's going on?"

"Finny, Burt and I are getting married."

"_What?_"

Carole held up her left hand, showing off the new ring that sat on her finger. The stone sparkled as the light hit it, making Rachel and Kurt 'ooh' and 'ahh' like it was some kind of firework display. The pair were mesmerised.

"Congratulations, you two!" Rachel said brightly, a happy smile on her face, despite only knowing Carole for one night. She was glad Burt had found somebody after the unfortunate passing of Kurt's mother, Elizabeth, and she was even more glad he'd found a woman like Carole. Granted she'd only just met her, but if she was anything like her son, Rachel knew she'd be a simply _wonderful_ wife for him.

"Yeah, yeah, congrats dad! I'm so happy for you!"

Realising he should probably say something instead of sitting there, silent, Finn muttered his congratulations to his mother and her new _fiancée_. As much as Finn had grown to love Burt and wanted his mom to be happy, he couldn't hide the sad expression from his face.

"Baby? Come talk to me for a moment?" Rachel spoke up, already out of her seat and walking towards the back door. Finn nodded and followed her out into the garden and onto the hammock that hung lazily from a tree.

"What's up, Finn?"

"I don't want him to replace my father… Does that make me a bad person?" Finn mumbled under his breath, Rachel barely able to hear him.

"Of course it doesn't! That's totally normal." He had told her what happened to his father a few weeks after they became serious. It was the anniversary of Christopher Hudson's death and, feeling very low, Finn had spilled everything to a listening Rachel. She'd comforted him through the story, slowly rubbing circles across his back at particularly sad parts. His dad had been killed in Desert Storm when Finn was a young baby. Rachel understood why Finn would think his mom remarrying meant she was replacing her dad, so she stroked her hand gently along his back again and told him that wasn't the case. "Just because she's with Burt now doesn't mean she doesn't love your dad anymore, or doesn't care. She's just found another man, one just as great, and humble, and caring as your father. She's lucky to have found a man like Burt Hummel."

"I guess so," Finn shrugged. "I'm happy she's happy, but…"

"You still feel uncomfortable because of your dad. It makes sense," Rachel finished off his sentence and he was both amazed and amused that they already knew each other so well.

"I love you," Finn told her, pressing a kiss to her temple. "You're amazing and I love you so, _so_ much."

Rachel smiled, suddenly remembering the day, a month or so after their first date, when they'd confessed their love for one another for the first time.

* * *

_Rachel snuggled closer into Finn's side as the couple lay on his sofa, watching Funny Girl on his big screen. Rachel had claimed this movie as her choice after he made he watch Diehard. She figured it was only fair._

_"You're going to be the best Fanny Brice ever to grace the stage," Finn breathed into her ear, his eyes focused on the screen. He really meant it. As awesome as that Barbra was, he knew his Rachel would be better. _

_Rachel shook her head, giggling, "You're just saying that because you're my boyfriend."_

_"I'm really not," He protested, annoyed that she'd even think that. "I wouldn't say that if I didn't think it was the truth. You're incredible, Rachel, and this role was made for you. You're going to kill it at opening night and I'm going to be there, front row and centre, cheering you on and proudly telling everybody 'that's my girlfriend up there!'"_

_She kissed him, soft and sweet. "Thanks, Finn."_

_"I love you." The words just tumbled from his mouth and he wanted to kick himself because even though he'd felt it since, like, his first date with this girl, he'd wanted to wait and do it somewhere nice, like a fancy restaurant or- or central park-_

_"I love you too," Came the whispered reply, interrupting his thoughts. __**What?**_

_"You- You love me? __**Me?**__"_

_Rachel laughed quietly. "That I do. Very much so." He laughed too, and then kissed her. The kiss was full of passion and love and while he'd hoped to give her something bigger, better, he'd realised that this- this simple declaration of love was more them. It was just the two of them being themselves, no over-the-top display, it was perfect._

* * *

And so the wedding planning began. Kurt took charge and spent all of his time reading wedding magazines, phoning Carole to discuss colour schemes; he would not shut up about it. Both Finn and Santana were getting frustrated, but Rachel loved helping him. It was fun planning it and she'd always been a sucker for romance and there was the added bonus that she was growing closer and closer to Finn's mother everyday because of it.

"_Rachel?_"

"Oh, hi Carole!" Rachel answered the phone, squirming away from Finn's hands that were running down her body. "You okay?"

"_Yes, yes, darling. Everything's fine._" Carole had started calling Rachel 'darling' and Rachel referred to the older woman as 'angel'. Finn thought the terms of endearment between his two favourite girls was _adorable._ "_I just wanted to ask you something important about the wedding._"

"Ask away," Rachel smiled at the thought of discussing her new favourite topic.

"_I want you to be my maid of honour._"

Rachel felt her heart beat faster and Finn, hearing it too, pulled her closer to his body, pressing a light kiss to her shoulder.

"Are you being serious?"

"_Yes!_" Rachel felt her smile grow rapidly. "_I think you'd be the perfect maid of honour and you'd look simply stunning in the dresses we picked out. I love you, Rachel, and this would mean a lot to me._"

"Of course I'll be your maid of honour! I'd love it! Thank you angel!" Rachel squealed excitedly. "And I love you too!"

"God. You two," Finn murmured into the crook of Rachel's neck. "I love you so much, Rachel Berry."

"Love you more, Finny," She whispered back, adjusting her position slightly to give him a chaste kiss on the lips.

"_Oh, is Finn there?_"

"He's here, Carole. You want to talk to him?"

"_Yeah. I didn't… interrupt anything did I?_" Kinda, but she would never say that out loud.

"Not at all. I'm going to sort our dinner out now, talk to you soon, angel."

"_Okay, darling,_" Carole responded before the phone was passed over to Finn. Rachel then pried herself out of Finn's arms and made her way to the kitchen. Instead of doing anything though, she stood there, shell-shocked, with her arms wrapped around herself. Finn's mom _loved_ her. She actually loved her. She'd asked Rachel to be her maid of honour, a role of high importance that wasn't handed out to just anybody. Rachel thought she could cry; Finn's family had accepted her so much and it made her overwhelmed.

* * *

Rachel's opening night for _Funny Girl_ came and went in a blur. She doesn't remember details, really, just remembers getting onto the stage, feeling blinded by all the lights, belting out 'Don't Rain On My Parade' and 'My Man' (thinking of her hot 6'3 boyfriend sitting in the audience). She remembers the standing ovation and the loud cheers that erupted for her, the very large bouquet of stargazer lilies she received backstage from Finn, and how after the performance was over and she'd signed autographs for fans (_she had actual fans now_!) she had gone for a lovely meal at Sardis with Finn, her parents, Kurt and Santana.

"Let's make a toast to Rachel!" Kurt said, lifting his glass that the waiter had just refilled with an amazing red wine. "For that _incredible_ show and for many more!" They all raised their glasses and Rachel felt her eyes sting with tears. She felt her happiness bubbling over.

"You okay, baby?" Finn asked, putting his arm around her chair.

"I'm perfect, Finn. Thank you." She kissed his cheek, a blinding smile on her face.

* * *

Finn and Rachel's first serious fight took place two weeks after her opening night. She was apparently spending too much time with her co-star ("_he's playing Nick, Finn! I can't just avoid him because you're being a baby!_"), making Finn very upset, his jealousy striking again ("_you're __**my**__ girlfriend yet he gets to see you more than I do, how does that work_?")

Finn had stormed out of her apartment, leaving Rachel to cry alone. She'd tried calling him but he wouldn't pick up and she was afraid she'd completely screwed up their relationship. ("_I'm such a crappy girlfriend, what if he hates me, Kurt? What if he never comes back? What do I do? Oh God, I've been so stupid!_" Rachel said, sobbing into the arms of her best friend, who'd soothed her with gentle rubs to her back. Santana, on the other hand, told the tiny brunette to suck it up and sort out her crap with him). And that's what she was about to do...

Until she got a phone call from his mother that stopped her in her tracks.

Surprised at the late night call, Rachel nervously picked it up, wondering what the hell happened. She didn't at all expect what she heard though.

"What do you mean _car accident_?"

"Finn… He… Hospital… Seriously injured… Possibly life threatening…" Were all Rachel managed to hear through the woman's tears before she hung up, threw on some jeans and one of Finn's old t-shirts and ran out of the apartment.

Arriving at the hospital Carole had told her Finn was at, she sprinted to the reception desk, frantic.

"My boyfriend… F-Finn Hudson… He's been in a car a-accident… Where is he? I n-need to see h-him…"

"Room 122," The receptionist replied, an apologetic look on her face as the crying woman thanked her and ran off in the direction of room 122.

"Finn!" She screamed, sprinting to his bedside, tears now rapidly flowing down her face. "Finn, baby, what happened? Are you okay? Finny, answer me!"

"He's sleeping, Miss," A man in a white overcoat, presumably Finn's doctor, said, appearing behind Rachel. "You should go wait outside, let the poor man rest."

"He's _my boyfriend_," Rachel replied through gritted teeth, turning away from Finn's bloody face to argue with the doctor. She was _not_ leaving him. "I have to be here when he wakes up; I am not going anywhere."

"You'll do as I say, Miss… Berry. He was just in a serious car accident and is fatally injured, if you're a half-decent girlfriend, you'll let him rest."

"How do you know my name?"

"He was calling out for a Rachel Berry. He looked very troubled, Miss. A witness told us he was visibly distraught and that's what caused him to swerve off the road. I think it's best for my patient if you go now."

Rachel felt her heartbeat quicken. Their argument had been the reason Finn was lying, unconscious, in the hospital bed. It was her fault. It was all her fault. Rachel hurried out of the room, tears coursing down her cheeks, straight into the arms of Carole Hudson.

"Rachel… What's wrong? Why are you crying? Is Finn okay?"

Rachel shook her head, simply crying harder. "T-they won't let m-me stay with h-h-him. M-my fault…"

"Rachel, Finn getting into an accident does not mean you are to blame."

"We had an a-argument," Rachel whispered. "He left really a-angry and t-that's when h-he had t-the accident… I s-should have g-gone after hi-him… I bet he h-hates me n-now…"

Carole sighed and gently kissed the top of Rachel's head. "I know my son and he's _never_ felt this way about a girl before. He loves you more than anything, darling. I'm sure the moment he wakes up he'll be asking for you."

"Really?" She asked hopefully. She felt dreadful and she wanted nothing more than for Finn to wake up so she could go apologise profusely.

"I'm positive, Rachel. I've never seen my son so happy in his life," She smiled at her son's girlfriend warmly. "And don't panic about the accident, okay? He'll be better in no time." Rachel nodded, feeling like a little child as Carole hugged her tightly.

"Are you Finn's mom?" A young nurse asked, coming out of room 122. Carole nodded. She continued, "He's awake now and wants to see you."

"What about Rachel? She's his girlfriend."

The nurse shook her head. "I'm afraid only family members are allowed in at this point. Sorry."

Rachel, being the stubborn girl she was, particularly when it came to Finn, protested, "I need to see him. He's my boyfriend and I need to see for myself that he's okay. _I need to tell him I love him. _I have to go in there, let me go in there." The nurse shook her head, no, and Rachel frowned deeply. How the hell was that fair? "Do you know who I am?"

"A whiny, annoying little girl who won't leave me alone to do my job?" The nurse answered snidely.

Rachel gasped. "Excuse _you_. I am Rachel Barbra Berry, star of the Broadway revival of _Funny Girl_ and as Finn's girlfriend, I believe I have every right to be in that room."

"Hospital policy, Miss."

She scowled. "Let. Me. See. Him."

The nurse groaned, finally surrendering. "Fine. But visitor's hours end soon. Make it quick." Rachel thanked her, before running back into Finn's room and to his bedside, where his eyes were wearily opening and closing.

"R-Rachel? Baby, is that you?" He croaked, his throat scratchy and sore.

"It's me," She said gently, sitting next to him on the bed. She noticed, out of the corner of her eye, Carole duck out of their room to give them privacy. She'd have to thank the woman later. "Finn… I-I'm so sorry!"

"I'm sorry too, baby." He leaned over to kiss her, needing to feel her lips on his for comfort. "I shouldn't have said any of those things. I do trust you. I know nothing is going on, I just get jealous, you know? Especially after that thing in high school…"

"It's okay, Finn, I understand. I want to apologise too. I love you so much, okay? I'm forever yours."

"You're okay with being stuck with the guy who stole your favourite seat at the coffee shop?" He smirked at her. She giggled.

"As long as you're okay with being stuck with a stubborn diva like me."

* * *

After months of detailed planning, Carole and Burt's wedding finally arrived on the 11th December; it was a lovely winter wedding, with snow and everything.

"Carole, calm down… Everything's gonna be okay," Rachel soothed, calming the panicking bride. "You've done this once, you can do it again. Just think of Burt waiting for you."

A small smile broke out onto the older woman's face. "I obviously made a good choice for my maid of honour. I love you, Rachel," She said, because she really did.

"And I love you." Rachel hugged her tightly. "You ready to get married?"

Carole nodded, picking up her bouquet of pink roses. "I'm ready."

As they walked up the aisle, Rachel's eyes were locked on Finn's hazel ones. The look on his face when he saw her was dazzling and never failed to give her butterflies. Finn was stood next to Kurt in a tux that made him look even more handsome. (_Is that even possible_?) She saw him mouth "you look beautiful, Rach" and she couldn't wipe the grin from her face.

Watching the ceremony, Rachel couldn't help but think of her own wedding. She pictured herself walking down the same aisle, her two fathers at her side, in an elegant, white gown, Finn waiting at the end, looking at her in the same way he did before. Lovestruck. In awe. Thankful. They had only been dating for around a year, and maybe it was too soon to be thinking those kind of thoughts, but Rachel loved Finn. She truly loved him and she was certain he was _the one_.

Little did she know Finn, all-but ten feet away, was imagining their wedding day, too.

* * *

Just two months after his mother's wedding, Finn decided to pop the question to Rachel. He'd chosen the perfect ring for her (without Kurt's help, by the way), and had what he thought was the perfect proposal. He couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with Rachel Barbra Berry.

* * *

Rachel always went to _the_ coffee shop, everyday, without fail. It was her haven, her relaxing place before a hectic day at the theatre; she loved it there.

As she walked in, she saw somebody sat at her table. _Finn._

"Hello, gorgeous," He said cheekily, getting up from his seat and greeting her with a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"Hey, baby. Don't take this the wrong way, but what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at work?"

"Took the day off," He shrugged. "Wanted to spend some time with my girl, that so bad?"

"Not at all," Rachel grinned. They hadn't been able to spend as much time together lately as they usually would. _Funny Girl_ was still working her hard and she was nominated for a Tony because of it. _A Tony!_ And Finn was either at the fire station or sneaking off to do some super secretive thing she wasn't allowed to know about. "How are you, baby? You look nervous?"

"I am," He chuckled, wiping his sweating hands down his jeans. "I-I have something important to ask you…" He gestured for her to sit down, and she did. Sitting opposite him, she couldn't help but be reminded of the first time they met in that very spot.

"Yes, Finn?"

"I-I… Rachel, I love you more than anything. You're beautiful and incredible and you make me the happiest guy in the world. I'm so lucky to be with you… A-and I'd feel even luckier if you agreed to be my w-wife." Rachel's mouth fell open as he pulled out the velvet box. "Marry me, Rachel Berry?"

"Yes!" She squealed, feeling a happiness spread throughout her that she had never, ever felt before. Not even when she'd got her first starring role on Broadway.

* * *

Rachel Barbra Hudson was the happiest person in New York City. She lived in an apartment that an incredible view of the city, with her _husband_ and two children, (Ava and Chris), she still had the best best friends and the nicest parents a girl could hope for (at the age of thirty two, they still spoilt her rotten) and sitting proudly on a shelf were _three_ Tony awards and one Grammy! She had everything she had ever wanted and dreamed of. Absolutely _everything_. Rachel was bursting with happiness.

_The End._

* * *

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